Exploring visual journalism

Hampden

As a photographer, Dennis Drenner has traveled the world. But as a focus for this series, we went right to his backyard, where he frequently sets up a photo studio in the alley behind his Hampden home. When pedestrians cross through the alley, he asks if they’d like a free portrait; many say yes.

When Wes White was out of work and struggling to get by, he was asked to help photograph a friend’s wedding. The iPhone-only street photographer’s hobby inspired him to get a job and get back on his feet. Now he frequently travels around Baltimore to document its people and architecture.

Harry Bosk works in Hampden, so it’s pretty convenient that it’s his favorite place to pursue subjects for street photos. He’s not trying to do ‘Humans of Hampden,’ he’ll tell you, but his work is reminiscent of the popular New York City photo blog. And Bosk frequently will engage with his subjects before taking their photo — a tactic that informs how he will capture that person (or people). Bosk is the latest subject of our series, Baltimore Street Photographer.More →

Baltimore street photographer Mark Phillips is a frequent patron of the city’s farmers’ markets, particularly the ones in Waverly and under the JFX. Candid shots of vendors, visitors and street performers are where he finds inspiration.

Take a look at the next installment in our series, Baltimore Street Photographer.

Roosevelt Park in Hampden dates back to the early 1900’s and is now home to the Skatepark of Baltimore, which had it’s grand opening in May of 2014. An asphalt pad was built in Roosevelt Park by the city for skating in 2005 and it took nearly ten years to build Phase 1, which includes a state of the art 5000 square foot concrete skating bowl. The Skatepark of Baltimore is a non-profit organization with an all-volunteer staff. An estimated 35 thousand skaters use the park each year and it is free to all skaters.

Since 1994, Hampden’s Honfest has been celebrating the archetypal Baltimore hon. Women — and even some men — have flocked to 36th Street (if you’re a local, you know it as the Avenue) for the sole purpose of winning the title of Baltimore’s Best Hon.

As it approaches its 20th anniversary, take a look back through the years at Hampden’s annual HonFest, celebrating the style and culture unique to Baltimore. In the video below, Cafe Hon founder and HonFest creator Denise Whiting talks about the history of the event.

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The Darkroom, the photography and video blog of The Baltimore Sun, shines a light on visually captivating stories of our past and present. It showcases the exciting work of our staff, offers tips in the craft, and highlights the emerging community of independent media makers. We want your feedback – please contact us with suggestions and ideas.

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Bob Rhodes: Very interesting read....I have read previously about terrap…